Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher

1. Critical Reflection: A Sustained Inquiry into Teaching Assumptions

Critical reflection is, quite simply, the sustained and intentional process of identifying and checking the accuracy and validity of our teaching assumptions.

Foundation of Practice. Critical reflection is not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment to examining the assumptions that underpin teaching practices. These assumptions, often drawn from personal experiences, advice from colleagues, or accepted research, guide our actions but may not always be accurate or appropriate.

Three Types of Assumptions. Assumptions can be categorized as:

• Paradigmatic: Structuring beliefs about the world.
• Prescriptive: Ideas about what should happen in teaching.
• Causal: Predictions about how different parts of the educational process work.

Purpose of Critical Reflection. The primary goal is to ensure that teaching actions are informed and effective, leading to genuine learning for students. By scrutinizing these assumptions, educators can refine their approaches and better meet the diverse needs of their students.

2. Power Dynamics: Unveiling the Silent Forces in Education

Classrooms are not limpid, tranquil, reflective eddies cut off from the river of social, cultural, and political life.

Omnipresent Power. Power is a constant presence in classrooms, shaping interactions and outcomes in ways that are often subtle and unseen. Critical reflection involves understanding how these power dynamics operate and determining what constitutes an ethical and justifiable use of teacher authority.

Dominant Ideology. Societal norms and beliefs, such as capitalism, positivism, democracy, militarism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, exert a powerful influence on classroom dynamics. These ideologies can reinforce existing inequalities and limit students' perspectives.

Democratizing the Classroom. Many teachers strive to create inclusive and empowering learning environments. However, actions intended to democratize the classroom can sometimes be perceived as manipulative or controlling. It's crucial to research how students perceive these actions and understand the symbolic significance they assign to them.

3. Hegemony: Recognizing and Resisting Self-Imposed Limitations

The subtle cruelty of hegemony is that over time it becomes deeply embedded, part of the cultural air we breathe.

Learned Oppression. Hegemony describes the process by which dominant ideas and practices are internalized by individuals, leading them to accept systems that may be harmful to their own interests. This acceptance is not forced but actively learned and embraced.

Hegemonic Assumptions. These are beliefs about teaching that seem to make life easier but ultimately work against teachers' best interests. Examples include:

• The need to motivate students through charismatic singularity
• The belief that teachers should always be in control
• The pressure to achieve perfect evaluation scores

Challenging Hegemony. Critical reflection involves uncovering and challenging these hegemonic assumptions, recognizing how they serve the interests of others while harming teachers' well-being. By resisting these self-imposed limitations, educators can reclaim their autonomy and create more sustainable and fulfilling practices.

4. The Four Lenses: A Multifaceted Approach to Self-Awareness

The only way we can become aware of our assumptions, particularly ones we’ve missed or never been aware of, is to view what we do through the equivalent of the side mirrors in the clothing booth.

Comprehensive Perspective. To truly understand our teaching, we must view it through multiple lenses:

• Students' eyes: How students experience our classrooms.
• Colleagues' perceptions: Insights from fellow educators.
• Personal experience: Reflections on our own learning journeys.
• Theory: Research and scholarship that offer new interpretations.

Overcoming Limitations. Each lens provides a unique perspective, helping us to identify blind spots and challenge our habitual ways of thinking. By integrating these diverse viewpoints, we can develop a more complete and nuanced understanding of our practice.

Continuous Scrutiny. This isn't a one-time process; it requires consistent and regular examination. The discipline of critical reflection demands a commitment to ongoing inquiry and a willingness to challenge even our most deeply held beliefs.

5. Students' Eyes: The Primary Source of Pedagogical Truth

Seeing ourselves through students’ eyes makes us more aware of the effects of our words and actions on students.

Student-Centered Teaching. Understanding how students experience learning is essential for effective teaching. This involves gathering reliable information on their perceptions, interpretations, and emotional responses to our actions.

Overcoming Power Dynamics. Because of the inherent power imbalance, students may be reluctant to be honest with teachers. Anonymity is crucial for obtaining accurate feedback.

Techniques for Gathering Feedback:

• One-minute papers
• The muddiest point
• Learning audits
• Clickers
• Social media
• Critical Incident Questionnaires
• Letters to successors

By actively seeking and responding to student feedback, teachers can gain valuable insights into the impact of their practice and make informed adjustments to better support student learning.

6. Colleagues' Perceptions: Collaborative Pathways to Enhanced Practice

The presence of critical friends is at the heart of the critically reflective process.

Critical Friends. Engaging in critical conversations with colleagues provides valuable perspectives and helps us notice aspects of our practice that are usually hidden. These colleagues serve as "critical friends," offering support and challenge as we examine our assumptions.

Benefits of Collegial Reflection:

• Unraveling the shroud of silence surrounding teaching
• Sharing common dilemmas and challenges
• Receiving alternative interpretations of situations
• Gaining new insights and techniques

Faculty Learning Communities. These groups, composed of colleagues from diverse disciplines, offer a structured setting for collegial reflection. By sharing experiences and perspectives, members can challenge groupthink and develop a deeper understanding of their practice.

7. Personal Experience: Mining the Gold of Autobiographical Insight

Our own experiences as learners provide important clues to the kinds of classroom dynamics that hinder or further the ability to learn.

The Power of Personal Narrative. Our own experiences as learners, both positive and negative, provide valuable insights into the dynamics of teaching. By reflecting on these experiences, we can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that our students face.

Challenging the Status Quo. Western epistemology often discounts personal experience as subjective and unreliable. However, these experiences can be a powerful source of knowledge, particularly when examined critically and in relation to broader theoretical frameworks.

Examples of Personal Experience:

• Graduate study
• Professional development workshops
• Academic conferences
• Recreational learning

By taking our own experiences seriously, we can develop a more empathetic and responsive approach to teaching.

8. Theory: Illuminating Practice with Conceptual Frameworks

Reading theory can sometimes feel like coming home.

Beyond Technique. Theoretical and research literature can provide unexpected and illuminating interpretations of familiar as well as newly complex situations. It helps us move beyond technical skills and develop a deeper understanding of the underlying principles that inform our practice.

Challenging Assumptions. Theory can disrupt our habitual ways of thinking and acting, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths and consider alternative perspectives. It can also combat groupthink by introducing new ideas and challenging conventional wisdom.

Narrative Theorizing. Combining theory with personal narratives can make abstract concepts more accessible and relevant. By weaving theory into the fabric of our own experiences, we can create a more powerful and meaningful understanding of our practice.

9. Social Media: Navigating the Digital Landscape of Learning

Social media allow for anonymous feedback and their contribution toward inclusivity.

Hybrid Learning. Today's teachers operate in a blended environment, integrating online and face-to-face communication. Social media tools offer new ways to connect with students, access information, and foster engagement.

Challenging Assumptions. It's important to critically examine our assumptions about social media, recognizing both its potential benefits and its potential drawbacks.

Benefits of Social Media:

• Democratizing the classroom
• Allowing public recognition and inclusion
• Acknowledging introverts and non-native English speakers

Tools for Engagement:

• TodaysMeet
• Twitter
• Poll Everywhere
• Socrative

10. Race and Racism: Confronting Uncomfortable Realities

Critical reflection on race and racism is so difficult.

The Challenge of Race. Uncovering assumptions about race and racism is one of the most difficult tasks of critical reflection. It requires confronting uncomfortable truths, challenging deeply held beliefs, and acknowledging our own complicity in systems of oppression.

Barriers to Reflection:

• The difficulty of perspective taking
• The ideology of white supremacy
• Discomfort with the terms "racist" and "racism"
• The slippery nature of racial microaggressions
• The inability of whites to see themselves as racial beings

Strategies for Engagement:

• Narrative disclosure
• Modeling by leaders
• Creating brave spaces
• Normalizing racism

11. Managing the Risks: Navigating the Perils of Self-Scrutiny

Critical reflection helps you situate your classroom and your practices in the structures and systems of the outside world.

Potential Pitfalls. Engaging in critical reflection can be a challenging and even risky process. It can lead to feelings of impostorship, cultural suicide, lost innocence, and marginalization.

Impostorship. The sense that you're faking it and will soon be exposed as incompetent.
Cultural Suicide. Alienating colleagues by enthusiastically questioning basic assumptions.
Lost Innocence. Realizing that difficult problems have no easy solutions.
Marginalization. Being ostracized for challenging institutional norms.

Strategies for Mitigation:

• Making impostorship public
• Building alliances
• Framing suggestions using the language of the mission statement

12. Critically Reflective Leadership: Modeling Inquiry from the Top

Anyone who engages in critical reflection is going to run a variety of risks.

Leadership as Inquiry. Critically reflective leadership involves applying the same principles of inquiry and self-scrutiny to the exercise of authority. This means questioning assumptions, seeking diverse perspectives, and being open to change.

Common Complaints. Teachers often express concerns about their leaders being out of touch, unresponsive, and arbitrary in their decision-making.

Meeting Protocols. Leaders can foster critical reflection by incorporating specific protocols into meetings:

• Circle of Voices
• Critical Incident Questionnaire
• Clearness Committee
• Appreciative Pause

Modeling Vulnerability. By publicly acknowledging their own errors and biases, leaders can create a culture of trust and encourage others to engage in critical reflection.

Last updated: February 8, 2025